From indistinguishable to indispensable

Jeff Chadiha of ESPN.com offers his now-annual list of the 10 most indispensable players in the NFL, and look who checks in at No. 9.

It’s Matt Hasselbeck.

Here’s what Chadiha has to say about the Seahawks quarterback:

“Yes, every quarterback is important to his team but Hasselbeck was extraordinary in 2007. The Seahawks couldn’t rely on former Pro Bowl running back Shaun Alexander and they also faced multiple injuries to their receiving corps. How did Hasselbeck respond? By putting the Seahawks’ offense on his shoulders and leading that team to the postseason. A performance like that deserves to be rewarded with a spot on this list.”

Pretty good company for a player who was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, ended up being drafted in the sixth round in 1998, spent his first season in Green Bay on the practice squad and was then Brett Favre’s backup for two seasons before being traded to the Seahawks in 2001.